Partnering with the Portland Police, 14 students from Franklin and Wilson High School spent the past few months learning how to code and working on an app that allows the Bureau to collaborate with its community more efficiently to help keep neighborhoods safe.

The app, which is set for release next month, offers a public platform for general announcements, crime alerts or be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) notifications that can include things like descriptions of people or car license plates.

The project came together with help from the Innovation Academy, a new Tech Start Education Foundation initiative that lets students from around Oregon participate in summer programs to develop software alongside business leaders, teachers and other high-profile members in the community. Participants, who will receive mentorship from industry experts, will work through the summer and unveil their work in the fall when the school year begins.

Taylor Soper is a GeekWire staff reporter who covers a wide variety of tech assignments, including emerging startups in Seattle and Portland, the sharing economy and the intersection of technology and sports. Follow him @taylor_soper and email taylor@geekwire.com.